This invention relates to measuring and adjusting ink for a printing press. More particularly, the invention permits ink color to be inspected and adjusted using actual press components before the press run is started.
Various physical properties of printing ink, such as balance, density, and hue, are contributing factors to the success of the printed product. Obtaining proper physical properties for a particular press run is usually a time-consuming process. The printing industry needs the ability to rapidly, scientifically, and correctly obtain the proper color match.
The process of measuring and adjusting ink is conventionally performed within an ink mixing department at a location off of the press and without actual press components. At the start of the job run, additional measurements and adjustments must be made on the press. This is costly in terms of the time the press remains idle while the measurements are performed and ink adjustments are made.
One prior art device is available for sampling ink and for printing the ink on a piece of paper. However, the ink is not sampled from the actual anilox roll which will be used on the press. Instead a pseudo anilox roll is used. The pseudo anilox roll is a small roll with surface characteristics which are similar to those of an actual anilox roll. The pseudo roll is nipped with a rubber roll to meter the ink and does not use the doctor blade metering system of a real anilox roll. The device is typically used to roll a sample of ink onto a piece of paper rather than the actual substrate which is printed in the press.
Since the ink sample is obtained and printed without using actual press components, the ink sample will not necessarily be an accurate representation of the ink which will be printed by the press. Accordingly, additional measurements and adjustments must be made on the press during the start-up of the actual print run.